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Essential Security and Identity Precautions using Cell Phones and GPS

Saturday, 05 September 2009 19:06 Michelle Crossley blog - tech news and tips

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GPS Technology
Of all the technological advances in the last two decades, the most advanced has to be GPS or the Global Positioning System. With the help of a space-based satellite, GPS provides a host of helpful services for Military and civilian navigation and positioning. All that is needed is the installation of a GPS device either in a car, ship or a plane, which will then help you, the navigator, or those you opt to give your positioning information to, to exactly pinpoint your location. You can even program the device to safely take you to a number of destinations of your choice like your home, kids’ school, your office, the local supermarket, etc.

But as with every good thing, there is an important safety measure to be considered while choosing to install a GPS device. Even though its advantages in either air or maritime operations helps those among us who spend time under the water or up in the air, for those of us who live our lives with our feet (or the car’s wheels, as it were) on the ground, one must remember to go the extra mile as far as personal safety is concerned. Take the case of a couple who their car broken into in broad daylight while at a football game. They returned to their vehicle to find they had been robbed of a horde of things from their when they got back. One of the things stolen was the GPS device from their car. The thieves, with the help of the GPS device, had managed to go over to their homes and gain entry through the garage remote control (which they also stole), and cleaned out some of their valuables in a well-timed B&E, because they knew when the game would end as well.

So what does this teach you? That even the most prolific navigator of all time comes at a price, and I don’t mean just its price tag. While installing the device, remember to safeguard it at all times. A great way to ensure the safety and security of your GPS is by making sure your GPS tracker comes with a panic button. This can be attached with a portable external input panic cable that you can carry with you – if your GPS is under security threat, you will immediately get an alarm signal wherever you are so you take prompt action. Also, remember to use code names for your favored destinations – “Go Home” will obviously route a thief straight to your home. Choose a word that is not an equivalent in other languages like ‘Corazon’ or ‘Maison’ – it should be a word that only and your family should know.

Cell Phone Security Precautions
Imagine having your cell phone information hijacked. And here we thought that people just stole cell phones that were lying around and discarded your SIM and inserted his own. Or maybe, use up your phone minutes or currency.

Identity theft is not restricted to email or credit cards scams alone. There have been instances where people’s cell phones have been stolen, and have sent messages to the victim’s spouses and parents, asking for sensitive information like password or pin number to bank accounts or even brazenly ask for cash, all because most of us have the habit of referring to them as Hubby, Wifey, Dad and Mom. If the only way to outsmart these identity thieves is to save the names of our loved ones rather than what our relationship with them is, then that is the way it should be. In case you do receive a message from a loved one for immediate cash or pass codes, always remember to call them back and verify. If there is no response, try reaching that person on his or her landline, and if their cell phone has indeed been stolen, there are ways that you can make the cell phone completely useless to the thief – if you choose.

Many cell phones come with GPS capabilities as well. So users should beware to set their "home" default by choosing a different name or not setting it at all.

Today’s cell phones come with a host of security features, like the “Mobile Me” feature in iPhones. This feature gives the user enterprise-level security and with this, you can actually safeguard the following on your iPhone 3.0: